Mounties in Richmond say they caught a group of people who had stolen from a toy store in a local mall last week. On May 27, officers received a report of a theft in progress at a store in Richmond Centre involving eight suspects, according to police. “The complainant followed the suspects at a safe distance while providing updates to the E-Comm 911 call-taker, which was then shared by dispatch to frontline officers,” reads a news release from the detachment issued Tuesday. “Richmond RCMP officers arrived on scene and quickly located and arrested five of the suspects, four of whom were youths, in a nearby parkade, and recovered multiple pieces of alleged stolen merchandise.” Police say they recovered “several” unopened boxes of Lego. Three of the suspects were released with conditions, and Mounties say they will recommend charges. The detachment says retail theft has been trending downward in Richmond so far this year, thanks to its “multi-pronged strategy” launched after an uptick in shoplifting in 2023.
